Accountant III job at Water Mission

Background information about the job or company (e.g., role context, company overview)

Water Mission is a Christian engineering nonprofit that builds safe water solutions for people in developing countries, refugee camps, and disaster areas. Since 2001, Water Mission has served more than 8 million people in 60 countries, sharing safe water and the message of God’s love. Working at Water Mission is as much a calling as it is a career, and we are searching for people with the courage, passion, and drive to help us change the world. Read more about our Statement of Faith and Our Christian Mission.

Responsibilities or duties

Key responsibilities:

1. Accounting & Transaction Processing

• Review and process approved payment requests, vendor bills, staff advances, journals, and other accounting transactions.
• Ensure transactions are accurately coded to the appropriate account, project, donor fund, department, and division.
• Post transactions into the accounting system accurately and within established timelines.
• Review supporting documentation to ensure transactions are complete, authorized, and compliant with financial policies.
• Maintain organized and accessible financial records.

2. Bank & Account Reconciliations

• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations and investigate and resolve outstanding reconciling items.
• Reconcile mobile money, cash, staff advances, vendor balances, and other assigned accounts.
• Follow up on long-outstanding balances and ensure appropriate clearance or corrective action.
• Maintain reconciliation schedules and supporting documentation.

3. Month-End & Year-End Closing

• Perform assigned month-end and year-end closing activities.
• Prepare and post accruals, prepayments, reclassifications, and other adjusting entries as required.
• Review assigned accounts for completeness and accuracy before financial close.
• Ensure all transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period.
• Support the Finance Manager in meeting financial close deadlines.

4. Financial Reporting

• Prepare quarterly Project financial reports for management, programs, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Support preparation of budget-versus-actual reports and investigate significant variances.

5. Payroll, Tax & Statutory Compliance

• Support the preparation and processing of payroll, applicable statutory deductions and tax obligations.
• Assist with withholding tax calculations and ensure supporting documentation is maintained.
• Support timely submission of tax and statutory returns.
• Maintain accurate tax schedules and reconcile tax-related accounts.

6. Accounts Payable & Receivable

• Maintain accurate vendor accounts and ensure invoices are properly recorded.
• Review vendor statements and investigate differences.
• Monitor staff advances and other receivables and follow up for timely liquidation.
• Support timely settlement of approved obligations in accordance with organizational procedures.

7. Internal Controls & Compliance

• Ensure transactions comply with organizational policies, donor requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Verify appropriate approvals, supporting documentation, budget availability, and segregation of duties before processing transactions.
• Identify control weaknesses, errors, or unusual transactions and escalate them appropriately.
• Support implementation and monitoring of corrective actions arising from audits and reviews.

8. Audit Support

• Provide financial records, schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documents required for internal and external audits.
• Respond to audit requests accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Assist in resolving audit findings and implementing agreed recommendations.

9. Support to Programs and Operations

• Provide financial guidance to program and operational teams on accounting procedures and documentation requirements.
• Respond to finance-related queries from staff, regional team and vendors promptly.
• Support budget holders in understanding expenditure, balances, and financial requirements.
• Promote compliance with financial policies across the organization.

10. Process Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, controls, and reporting.
• Participate in development and improvement of Finance SOPs and procedures.
• Support automation and digitization of accounting processes.
• Promote efficient use of financial systems and reduction of manual processes.

Key Performance Indicators

• Transactions processed within established timelines.
• Accuracy of accounting transactions and coding.
• Completion of assigned monthly reconciliations by the month-end deadline.
• Compliance with applicable tax and statutory deadlines.
• Transactions supported by complete and appropriate documentation.
• Staff advances and vendor balances regularly reconciled and followed up.

Qualifications or requirements (e.g., education, skills)

Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

Maintain a strong Christian witness and model servant leadership to colleagues, partners, the communities we serve, and the public.

Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values of Love, Excellence, and Integrity.

Impeccable level of integrity in handling funds in an accountable and transparent manner.

Fluent in English.

University degree in accounting or finance is required.

Must possess a professional accounting certification such as ACCA, CPA (U), or an equivalent recognized accounting qualification

Master’s degree in business administration, Accounting, or a similar field will be a plus.

Experience needed

In-depth experience in all accounting and financial management areas with strong technical knowledge of International (GAAP, IPSAS), local financial reporting standards, and compliances.

At least three years of experience in financial management.

Any other provided details (e.g., benefits, work environment, team info, or additional notes)

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including articulating ideas and feedback constructively.

Advanced skills with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint) and familiarity with financial and accounting information systems.

A knowledge of leadership, mentoring, management, analytical and organizational skills demonstrated by the ability to work independently and within a team, assess priorities, and manage various activities with attention to detail.

Understanding the principles of adequate documentation and audit and the procedures necessary to ensure audit compliance.

Excellent analytical skills.

Excellent relationship and conflict resolution skills.

Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with a team.

• Review and process approved payment requests, vendor bills, staff advances, journals, and other accounting transactions.
• Ensure transactions are accurately coded to the appropriate account, project, donor fund, department, and division.
• Post transactions into the accounting system accurately and within established timelines.
• Review supporting documentation to ensure transactions are complete, authorized, and compliant with financial policies.
• Maintain organized and accessible financial records.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations and investigate and resolve outstanding reconciling items.
• Reconcile mobile money, cash, staff advances, vendor balances, and other assigned accounts.
• Follow up on long-outstanding balances and ensure appropriate clearance or corrective action.
• Maintain reconciliation schedules and supporting documentation.
• Perform assigned month-end and year-end closing activities.
• Prepare and post accruals, prepayments, reclassifications, and other adjusting entries as required.
• Review assigned accounts for completeness and accuracy before financial close.
• Ensure all transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period.
• Support the Finance Manager in meeting financial close deadlines.
• Prepare quarterly Project financial reports for management, programs, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Support preparation of budget-versus-actual reports and investigate significant variances.
• Support the preparation and processing of payroll, applicable statutory deductions and tax obligations.
• Assist with withholding tax calculations and ensure supporting documentation is maintained.
• Support timely submission of tax and statutory returns.
• Maintain accurate tax schedules and reconcile tax-related accounts.
• Maintain accurate vendor accounts and ensure invoices are properly recorded.
• Review vendor statements and investigate differences.
• Monitor staff advances and other receivables and follow up for timely liquidation.
• Support timely settlement of approved obligations in accordance with organizational procedures.
• Ensure transactions comply with organizational policies, donor requirements, and applicable laws and regulations.
• Verify appropriate approvals, supporting documentation, budget availability, and segregation of duties before processing transactions.
• Identify control weaknesses, errors, or unusual transactions and escalate them appropriately.
• Support implementation and monitoring of corrective actions arising from audits and reviews.
• Provide financial records, schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documents required for internal and external audits.
• Respond to audit requests accurately and within agreed timelines.
• Assist in resolving audit findings and implementing agreed recommendations.
• Provide financial guidance to program and operational teams on accounting procedures and documentation requirements.
• Respond to finance-related queries from staff, regional team and vendors promptly.
• Support budget holders in understanding expenditure, balances, and financial requirements.
• Promote compliance with financial policies across the organization.
• Identify opportunities to improve accounting processes, controls, and reporting.
• Participate in development and improvement of Finance SOPs and procedures.
• Support automation and digitization of accounting processes.
• Promote efficient use of financial systems and reduction of manual processes.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced skills with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint)
• Familiarity with financial and accounting information systems
• Leadership skills
• Mentoring skills
• Management skills
• Analytical skills
• Organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and within a team
• Ability to assess priorities
• Ability to manage various activities with attention to detail
• Understanding of the principles of adequate documentation and audit
• Understanding of procedures necessary to ensure audit compliance
• Excellent analytical skills
• Excellent relationship skills
• Conflict resolution skills

• Personal and growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
• Strong Christian witness and servant leadership.
• Alignment with Water Mission’s Statement of Faith and core values.
• Impeccable level of integrity in handling funds.
• Fluent in English.
• University degree in accounting or finance.
• Professional accounting certification such as ACCA, CPA (U), or an equivalent recognized accounting qualification.
• Master’s degree in business administration, Accounting, or a similar field (a plus).
• In-depth experience in all accounting and financial management areas.
• Strong technical knowledge of International (GAAP, IPSAS), local financial reporting standards, and compliances.
• At least three years of experience in financial management.